22 August 2024
The new temporary Browns Farm police station opened in Philippi, Cape Town this month. Photos: Sandiso Phaliso
“Browns Farm is going to change for the better, I can assure you that.” This was the promise made to a hall filled with Philippi residents by Captain Ndumiso Sidwell Gordon - the SAPS station commander of the new Browns Farm satellite police station.
This comes two years after the previous satellite police station, located at Philippi train station, was decommissioned due to severe vandalism of electricity infrastructure as well as safety concerns for staff.
Browns farm has become notorious for being the crime capital of Cape Town. Most families live in fear in Philippi. Gunshots ring out at all hours. There are almost daily incidents of violent crime, including murders, carjackings, armed robberies, extortion, and home invasions in Philippi. This has led to the City of Cape Town and other service providers having to withdraw services for weeks at a time because workers and staff had become targets for local criminals.
According to the local ward councillor, Philippi is divided in four sections and has 11 informal settlements. It has the most reported crime within the Nyanga precinct.
Before this new satellite station was opened a couple of weeks ago, residents would have to travel to the already overburdened and under-resourced Nyanga Police Station. Nyanga SAPS serves six large areas - Philippi, Crossroads, New Crossroads, KTC, Lusaka and Barcelona.
The new satellite station is in the community hall which was also recently refurbished after it was vandalised and damaged during the violent taxi strike in 2023. This is just a temporary arrangement until land is identified to build a permanent police station.
Last week, Captain Gordon was formally introduced to residents in the Browns Farm community at a mass community meeting. “I am urging you to work together with the police. These criminals are fewer when the police and the community combine,” Gordon told residents.
He also urged residents to report crime and not take matters into their own hands.
The community hall in Browns Farm, Philippi was filled with residents last week as the new station commander was introduced. Resident Mfusi Njwele is pictured above posing a question to SAPS.
Dozens of community members welcomed the new station but also used the opportunity to voice their concerns.
Resident Sandile Ncapayi said, “It is good to have a police station but we need police officers that are dedicated and passionate about their job. We are scared but we are hopeful that the new station commander will make a difference.”
Nomawethu Mdleleni told Gordon that a group of police officers allegedly kicked down her door, looking for her children. She told the officers where to find them. Later she found out that the officers didn’t arrest her children but beat them up. “If my children did anything wrong, they must arrest them and not assault them. I have now lost trust in the police,” said Mdleleni.
Wayne Dyason from the City of Cape Town’s law enforcement unit, said their officers “play a supporting role to SAPS and other agencies when it comes to fighting crime”.
Dyason said the City has contributed a large number of resources to fight crime in joint operations between different enforcement agencies in Philippi. “We will work with our partners in the fight against crime. By pooling resources and boots on the ground, we hope to make the area safer for residents.”
SAPS Western Cape spokesperson Andre Traut confirmed that the satellite station started operating in early August. “The concept of a satellite police station is to bring policing closer to the community and serve as an extension of the main police station,” Traut said.
He said there is no detention facility at the Browns Farm satellite police station and detainees will be held at Nyanga police station. He did not respond to further questions about the number of police and vehicles allocated to the station.